


A Better Life

by JosieRuby1



Category: Logan - Fandom, Wolverine (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Laura - Freeform, Logan - Freeform, Logan Needs A Hug, father/daughter talk, x23
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-10-02 10:34:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10216100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosieRuby1/pseuds/JosieRuby1
Summary: Laura finds Logan lost in thought. "She placed her hand over his and reached for his dog tags with the other. “Cuatro, cinco, ocho, dos, cinco, dos, cuatro, tres, A” She said, softly but clearly. “Wolverine. You.” It wasn’t a question."





	

Logan sat with his back against the wall, his legs outstretched in front of him. He was staring at the dog tags, the chain was wrapped around his hand almost painfully, no doubt leaving an indentation on his skin. He flipped the tag, turning it away from ‘Wolverine’ and over to reveal his name and number. ‘Logan’ as clearly marked on it, alongside the number that had been him for so long. Logan, the name he had taken or been given. Logan, the name he had accepted and come to associate with himself. And yet, he was James Howlett as well, according to his information. James wasn’t a name he related to but one he used. At this point, Logan felt lost. The last of the X-Men but stuck in a hideout with a new wave of mutants. His emotions were overwhelming and non-existent at the same time.

“Logan?”

Hearing his name broke his reverie and he turned to see Laura standing at the end of the bed looking at him in what he took for concern. He allowed the dog tags to fall loose from his hand onto the bed. He forgot to answer and momentarily it struck his how easy it was to just not talk. For the briefest of moments, he understood Laura’s prolonged silence.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked. Her voice was heavy with concern and intrigue.

“Life,” Logan replied. He didn’t mean it flippantly but he didn’t know what else to say. How did you explain too many experiences to someone with too little?

Laura wasn’t put out. She simply sat on the bed beside him. She placed her hand over his and reached for his dog tags with the other. “Cuatro, cinco, ocho, dos, cinco, dos, cuatro, tres, A” She said, softly but clearly. “Wolverine. You.” It wasn’t a question.

The Wolverine. Another name he had been given and accepted. A name of a man who thought he could play hero. The Wolverine was no hero, perhaps none of them ever really were. Logan was sure heroes didn’t exist.

He nodded with a small smile. “Born a freak and fashioned into a weapon,” He commented. “Tha number, that name was me for so long. I’ve had so many names. Word of advice, kid, stick to Laura.”

“X23-23,” Laura spoke the numbers in English this time. “We were not supposed to have names. We were just supposed to be specimen, experiments. Gabriella called me Laura.”

Logan looked at her for a moment. Perhaps she did understand. He underestimated her too much. She had been through too much, too young. Perhaps she did know the importance of names; given or claimed or forced upon you. It had been in Gabriella’s videos, they weren’t supposed to people… just things. They were treated worse than animal. It infuriated him more than he cared to admit. History was repeating itself yet again. How many times before people learnt?

“You have to stay strong,” Logan told her. He didn’t have enough words, he didn’t have the right words and he knew he was going to sound like a damned hallmark card but he had to try. “I know you know this but the world is going to keep hurting you. The world is gonna treat you like shit over and over again. Don’t let ‘em. It’s already too late for you to have any sort of innocence d that ain’t fair but life ain’t fair. All you can do if give as good as you get.”

Laura was watching him intently. She didn’t speak when Logan hesitated. Her silence was one of understanding. She knew he needed time, that he needed to get this all out or that he would never be able to.

“I’m a fucking hypocrite for saying this but let people in. Don’t close yourself off. Make friends.  The world’s a lonely place, don’t make it any worst for yourself if you can help it.” He gave the tiniest of smiles. “Let yourself fall in love because you know it’ll hurt but life fucking hurts anyway, you might as well be happy for a while. But this is the most important part. Are you listening?”

He turned his hand over and brought his other to join it, holding hers in both of his. She nodded and he could’ve sworn there were tears in her eyes.

“Live your life better than I did,” Logan’s gaze didn’t leave her eyes when he said that. She looked lost and confused and scared and determined and strong. Charles had been right, she was a lot like him but that wasn’t just the claws. “Don’t cry now, bub. Save your tears, life will force them out of you before too long.” He said.

Without warning she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Logan was taken aback but didn’t push her away. He was still for a moment before wrapping one arm around her and using the other hand to stroke her hair gently. She was crying now and he didn’t know what she was crying for. Gabriella. Charles. The pain of her past. Who knew. Logan was so long crying to work out the cause of her tears that he didn’t notice his own until he tasted salty water at the corner of his mouth.

“It’s okay, kid,” He said, softly, breaking the promise he made to himself not to lie to her. Sometimes it was necessary, sometimes it was okay.

“Don’t use that bullet,” Laura said, her voice weak and muffled into his chest but he understood her. “Promise me.”

Logan swallowed, pushing her back and looking at her seriously. He brushed her hair out of her face and wiped her eyes. “I can’t promise you forever, kid, but I won’t use it soon.” He promised. “Now I want you to promise me something.”

“What?” Laura asked. She was pulling herself together, he could almost see her internal workings stopping her from crying anymore, stopping her from being anything but strong.

“Be better than me.” Logan said.

Laura frowned. “I-” She started but stopped. After a moment, she said, “I’ll try.”

“That’s all I can ask for.” Logan replied.


End file.
